A Ticket for One's Heart
by kuku88
Summary: Butch drifted from woman to woman not exactly because he LIKED to, but more so because none of them were "keepers". So when he has to sell dance tickets with Buttercup and ends up meeting with his ex-girlfriend Tiffany, would one of them be his ticket to stop drifting and open up his heart...? Rated T; R&R!


_So this is a late birthday present/story request for the amazing author __**FadedIllusion101**__! You may all know her for her amazingness and her fantastical stories! I'm not sure how "word-perfect" using those words are, but ehh, who cares? Let's get this show on the road! :D_

Happy (late) birthday, you amazing person you! xD

_She asked for a __**Butch x Buttercup **__ story, and I wrote the intro in my head while riding back from visiting my grandparents! The ticket-selling and charity dance parts are kinda taken from my story __**"The Rose Maiden"**__, and the tree-chopping part from __**"Why Feelings Suck" **__ (which I still need to finish—I'm sorry, you guys! /shot). _

_Oh yeah, I own nothing besides my own OC's and the story!_

"Happy (late) birthday to you,

Happy (late) birthday to you!

Happy (late) birthday, dear **FadedIllusion101**,

Happy (late) birthday to you!"

_Keep having fun with your new age, and keep up the amazing work! Oh and have some cake! :D_

* * *

Butch didn't consider himself a pervert.

Nope.

It wasn't his fault he liked to check out different types of girls and see which ones he liked.

He didn't consider himself a playboy either.

Was it a sin to try and find your right type...?

Butch hovered from girl to girl not because he liked toying with women's hearts (although he had to admit it WAS rather fun), he often did it because there was no women so far for him to..._"stay" _ with.

He didn't like admitting it to himself, and _definitely _ not to others.

Sure; he'd dated tons of hot women and made out with tons more, and got "gifts" from plenty, but none of the women were a "keeper".

...Shit, half of the women he ended up dating were sluts.

The last girl he'd dated was a blond chick with green eyes called Tiffany. He's stopped liking her after two weeks, but canceled their relationship after four weeks (actually three and a half, really).

That was certainly an accomplishment.

He remembered walking out on her yelling his name with useless threats and meaningless begs.

_...He'd been through this all before. _

Butch stood there for a few moments as he listened to her beg for a little longer, and threaten him with money.

_None of it mattered. _

Butch then shut the door on her.

* * *

"Ow, fucking hell, you're a bitch!"

Red eyes glowed with amusement as the person tossed a baseball into the air before catching it. "Ooh, I'm sorry; did I hurt little Butchie's arm...?" he cooed.

Butch simply glared at the guilty redhead, rubbing his sore arm. "Fuck you, Brick. You threw that baseball at my arm on purpose."

Brick only smirked at his spiky-headed brother as he rolled the ball between his palms a little while longer. Then he suddenly thrust it through the air, missing Butch by a centimetre and hitting the centre of a dart target. "Y'know what they say," the red Ruff commented, running a hand through his hair, "aim high and you'll succeed."

"...Whatever," Butch scoffed, getting up from the sofa. He glanced at the baseball lying squarely underneath the target. "...That was on purpose too, wasn't it?" he commented.

Brick just shrugged, tossing a nearby blue dart at the target, striking centre.

"Hey you guys!"

The two Ruffs turned to see blond hair and wide blue eyes greet them.

"Boomer; what's up?" Brick called, gathering some more darts from the floor. Butch got up to move away from Brick's range of throw.

"I just got the tickets for the dance thingy the Puffs were talking about," Boomer announced, balancing a giant cardboard box in his hands. "We're gonna have to sell some tickets, but we get to keep a few."

Butch rolled his eyes._ "Joy," _he said sarcastically. _"Ticket selling."_

Boomer shot his green-eyed brother a glare. "_Yes_, Butch; _joy_. And that's what you're gonna feel while selling these babies. Here; you take first batch, hmm...?"

Butch let out a grunt as Boomer thrust the box into his arms, and Brick smirked. Butch sent the red Ruff a glare. "...Shuddup," he said.

"...I wasn't gonna say anything," Brick replied with a shrug, before throwing another dart at the target. This one landed smack beside the other darts, causing one to drop.

...The dart Brick had thrown was red, and the one that'd dropped was green.

Butch scowled from his seat, noticing it was _his _ signature colour that had been knocked off by Brick's.

"So Banana and I discussed this, and we decided we'd design the outfits," a new voice called, coming from a different room. A blond head popped in, with glasses perched on his hair and a measuring tape around his neck.

"So you're designing our outfits, Blaster...?" Brick asked, moving on from darts to the pool table. He bent down and aimed, before smirking as he hit the ball.

Butch scowled as he watched the ball Brick had been aiming for fall into the hole in one corner of the table. Fuck Brick and his skills.

"Yeah; it won't be too hard. It's just gonna be some suits," Blaster agreed, already measuring an awkward-looking Boomer.

"Hot damn," another voice called, "if Butch doesn't get a permanent girlfriend by the dance, then I'll be damned."

Butch's face grew red as he turned to glare at the speaker. "Shut up, Bandit!"

Bandit shrugged, tying his long brown hair back into a short ponytail. "What...? I made a bet with Braker. If I lose, I owe him ten bucks."

"That's right!" piped up another new voice, followed by a brown-haired boy appearing in the room, carrying a plate of cake.

Butch groaned, rolling his eyes. "Jesus fucking Christ you two; will you _stop _ this?"

"It's not our faults you suck at finding good girlfriends," Bandit responded calmly, playing with a pingpong racket with the ball attached by a string.

Butch groaned again and let his head fall onto the table. "...Fuck you all," he said loudly.

Braker shrugged, taking a seat on the sofa next to Butch; at the centre of the coffee table. He held up his plate. "...Cake...?" he offered.

"...JESUS. _FUCKING_. CHRIST!" Butch groaned loudly again, hitting his head a couple times before resting his cheek on the cold glass table.

Braker shrugged, taking another bite of cake as he sat back and crossed his legs. "...No cake, then...?"

"...Just shut up," Butch grumbled, letting his head fall back down.

* * *

"BUTTERCUP; WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Groaning, the raven-haired Puff looked up from working on her bike, wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing. It wasn't much use; the apron was already covered in grease.

"I'm in the garage!" she shouted, pulling off the apron and opening the door. She walked in and thrust the green apron down on the floor of the laundry room. "WHAT'S UP!?" she yelled.

"Ticket selling!" the voice calling her responded. "Y'know; for the dance!"

"Yeah, yeah; I got it! What about it?" Buttercup called back, already climbing up the stairs.

"Brick and I talked about it over on the phone, and we decided to sell the tickets in pairs!"

"You can stop shouting now! I'm right outside your door!" Buttercup said loudly, rolling her eyes.

The pink door opened a crack and a pink eye blinked up at her. Then the door swung open and her redheaded sister greeted her in a pink office chair.

"So...what are the pairs, Blossom?" Buttercup asked, folding her arms and leaning against a bookshelf.

Blossom smiled, pulling out a sheet of paper. "Ooh, you'll like this," she said.

Buttercup already felt a bad feeling in her stomach. "Like what?" she demanded, taking the sheet.

Blossom simply smiled back before spinning her office chair to her desk. "Just take a look at who you're paired with!" she giggled.

"Oh no," Buttercup managed to say before checking the list. She crinkled her nose when she saw it, shouting...:

* * *

"OH HELL NAW!"

Brick rolled his eyes, taking the sheet of paper back. "It's just for selling tickets. It's not like I assigned your date for the dance."

"But why _her_!? She's like...like a she-demon!" Butch complained loudly. He grabbed Brick's arm. "Oh c'mon, can't I have Blossom instead...? Or even Bubbles or Banana or something...? _Anybody _ but _her_!"

Brick sent his brother an unamused glance. "No, no, and no," he deadpanned. "You're a pervert, Butch. And Blossom's my girlfriend."

"You know I'd never be perverted to my _brothers' girlfriends_! But then it's _her_, and it's all okay!?" Butch whined.

Brick rolled his eyes, folding the paper neatly and tucking it into his pocket. "It's already been decided, dickhead."

"But _why_!?" groaned Butch, shaking his brother's arm. "This is _soo _ stupid!"

Brick shared a glance with Bandit, before turning back to Butch. "It's not stupid at all; it's laid out quite well, actually."

Butch stared at him. "What the fuck are you talking about...?" he demanded. "And I didn't miss that look! You're hiding something!"

"No we aren't," Bandit replied calmly.

"And think about it! _Me _ with _her_!? She's gonna _kill _ me the moment she _sees _ me!" Butch complained.

* * *

"I'm gonna kill him the moment I see him!" Buttercup yelled, thrusting her arms into the air.

Blossom rolled her eyes. "_No_, you aren't," she said sternly. "And we'll make sure of that."

"But this idea is so...so _stupid_! Why _him _ of all people!?"

"_Because_, everyone else is already paired!" Blossom shot back.

Buttercup groaned, running her hands down her face and pulling the skin down to make a weird-looking expression. "But it's...it's..._that guy_! He's a frickin' _idiot_!"

"Buttercup!" scolded Blossom.

* * *

"But why does it have to be _Butch/Buttercup_!?"

* * *

Brick rolled his eyes. "You really _are _ stupid, aren't you? No matter _how _ many times I explain this, you _still _ can't understand. The reason _is _ that everyone else is already paired up!"

"But don't _I_ get a say in this matter!?" Butch demanded, not letting go of Brick's arm even as his brother shook it.

_"No!" _ Brick groaned in frustration, now waving his arm like crazy to get his brother off. "Now _let_..._GO_!"

Butch was then thrown into the pool table, causing Boomer to jump back both out of the way _and _ out of surprise (as he was playing a game with Braker).

Brick glared at his green-eyed brother. "I _told _ you, everyone else's votes outweigh your own!" Then Brick stormed off with an angry huff.

Butch stared after his brother, and when the door slammed shut, he said, "...Boy... Brick the Huffy Ruff, much...?"

Boomer then did a face-palm.

Butch glanced at him. "What...? What'd I say; what'd I say...?"

"...Nothing out of the ordinary," Boomer said with a sigh.

"So why'd you do a face-palm?" Butch demanded.

"_Because_; _your _ 'ordinary' is being an idiot!" Boomer shot back, fixing the balls on the pool table.

"Hey!" shouted Butch, getting up from his seat in front of the pool table.

"He does have a point," Braker commented, sticking out a tongue as he aimed.

Butch scowled, moving over to smack both of his brothers' heads down onto the pool table, an unamused expression on his face. After the loud _smack! _ he then wandered off.

"_Ow_! The fuck was _that _ for!?" Braker demanded, rubbing his sore face.

Butch glared at the two Ruffs, both of whom were complaining in pain and rubbing their faces. "_That _ was for being stupider than stupid."

"Jeez, we love you too." Boomer snorted, pulling a hand through his hair.

"We all do," Braker agreed, glaring at the green Ruff.

Butch shrugged. "I'm sorry boys, but I prefer a girl."

Both Braker and Boomer stormed past him from behind his seat on the sofa, smacking him on the back of his head with their pool sticks.

"Ow; _fuck_!" Butch shouted, rubbing the back of his head as he turned to glare at his two brothers.

They simply ignored him as they walked out of the room, tossing the pool sticks down next to the badminton rackets beside the exit.

"...Jeez, what crawled up their asses and laid eggs?" Butch muttered, turning back around and still rubbing the back of his head. He then turned on the TV.

"...Ew, that's disgusting to even _think _ about," a new voice commented.

Butch turned to see his brother Bandit, and he rolled his eyes. "Don't you start too," he groaned.

"I may and may not," Bandit replied calmly, getting up from his seat at the table. "But I have to admit, that was a_ 'spectacular' _show."

Butch scowled, hitting his head on the coffee table again. "...You started," he said loudly.

Bandit smirked, patting Butch on the back as he walked by. "...I did, didn't I? I'm sorry; I just can't seem to help myself."

Butch let out a low moan―both in frustration and in pain―after all, now both sides of his head was aching.

Bandit just smirked as he exited the room, stopping to call, "Goodbye, Butchie boy~! Have fun selling those tickets!"

"...Don't remind me," the green Ruff groaned.

* * *

Bandit's words were still ringing in Butch's ears as he stood awkwardly outside of the Utonium's house with his brothers. He paced back and forth behind them, and watched with anticipation as Brick slowly reached for the doorbell...

...And reached...

...And reached...

"AUGH I CAN'T _TAKE _IT ANYMORE!" Butch shouted, throwing his hands into the air. He thrust Brick's arm into the doorbell, causing a loud ring to echo.

Brick glared at Butch, before turning back to the door because it was opening.

_"Boomie!"_

Boomer fell over as he had just been tackled in a gigantic hug. The attacker had blond hair tied in pigtails and was wearing blue.

"Bubbles!" gasped Boomer, as the blue Puff continued to tighten her grasp on him. "Can't..._breathe_...!"

"Oh, oops; sorry," Bubbles giggled sheepishly, letting go of her boyfriend and giving him a peck on the cheek. "There; all better...?"

Boomer just nodded weakly.

Butch winced. _That could be me, _ he realized. _Just that it wouldn't be a hug; it'd be me being choked out of breath, and I wouldn't get a kiss out of it either... And it wouldn't be with sweet, innocent Bubbles...it'd be with that _she-demon_, Buttercup. _He shuddered just thinking about it.

"You're here! You made it on time," another voice called, drawing everyone's attention away from the blues.

Brick smiled. "Hey, Blossie," he greeted her, giving her a peck on the forehead.

"Hi, Brick," she responded cheerfully, before turning back to the other Ruffs. "Mike, Robin, Mitch, and Princess are all already here. Here; take these." She began to pass out packs of tickets.

Butch caught his with ease, seeing as Braker had tossed the pack at Butch since he was behind the entire group.

"Try and sell all of them," Blossom said, now carrying a mostly empty box. "You can use any mode of transport."

"Now all of you; go find your partners," Brick announced, taking the box from Blossom.

Everyone but the reds and blues entered the Utonium household in search of their counterparts.

"Hi Blaster!" a new voice greeted the yellow-eyed Ruff, followed by a kiss.

Blaster laughed. "Hi, Banana," he greeted back.

Butch gagged.

Braker and Bliss joked around as they joined each other, and Bandit hugged Bunny.

Butch himself was simply standing there awkwardly.

Bandit shot his brother a look, and Butch sighed.

He fidgeted before calling, "Uhh...Buttercup...?"

Bandit did a face-palm.

"Here," a new voice sighed.

Butch turned to see the speaker, and his jaw nearly dropped.

...It was Buttercup, sure; but she was..._good_-looking.

Buttercup stood there awkwardly, her cheeks slightly pink as she rubbed her arm almost shyly. She was wearing a green tank with an army jacket. She also wore black shorts with green edging and with lace at the bottom; and ripped tights. Her boots were slightly heeled, but they still looked like army boots. She had a cross necklace on and a spiked bracelet followed by some bangles.

"...You look nice," Butch managed to say.

Only...she looked _better _ than _nice_. She looked great―amazing, actually. _Hot_, even! So she wasn't like the other girls Butch hung out with―so what? Those girls were sluts who tried to look sexy.

_But Buttercup... Damn, did she look good. _

"...Thanks," Buttercup managed to say. Then she recovered with: "B-But don't get used to it! And stop ogling me!"

"I-I am _not _ ogling you!" Butch stammered back, also recovering from his earlier amazement. _So what if she looked good!? She was still Buttercup―and no amount of nice clothes could save _her_. _

"I see you're getting along well," Bandit commented with a shake of his head.

Butch sent his brother a glare.

He then glanced down at his own clothes. He was wearing a black no-sleeve that showed off his abs, and a neon-green baggy jacket with khaki knee-high shorts. He wore one of his many "usual" green sneakers. His accessories included: a spiked belt, cross necklace, and green bangles.

...Okay, so he looked decent.

"So...are you ready to sell these babies?" Butch asked awkwardly, holding up their packets.

Buttercup nodded, taking them and setting them into a box. "Do you want to carry them, or...?"

"Oh yeah, sure; I'll take them." Butch took the box, now with the tickets inside―rather awkwardly too.

"Do you want to fly or do you want to take a vehicle or walk?" Buttercup asked, not exactly looking at him.

"...Why not fly...?" Butch suggested, balancing the box in his arms.

Buttercup shrugged. "Sure," she agreed.

"Okay, cool." Butch nodded. "Uhh...we should probably get going. I think we're the last ones left."

Buttercup looked around and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She paused then. "Huh; that's a first. I mean, you being right, and me agreeing with you."

"...Riiight," Butch said, rolling his eyes. He then took off, calling, "Try and keep up!"

"I think you got it all wrong!" Buttercup shouted back. "_You _ should try and keep up with _me_!"

"Ha! As if!" scoffed Butch, trying to make sure the box would remain intact and that none of the tickets would scatter.

Buttercup rolled her eyes as she caught up to him, and she smirked. "Looks like you're gonna have to reword that sentence after all! _Adios_!" And with that, she blasted off ahead.

Butch grunted, finally holding the box in a comfortable position as he sped up to catch up with the green Puff.

* * *

"And thank you for your contribution!" Buttercup called as the door closed.

Butch rolled his eyes. "Why do you insist on saying that stupid thing?"

"In case you forgot, that _'stupid thing' _ was written by my _sister_," Buttercup pointed out.

Butch shrugged. "I still don't see a reason to have to repeat it over and over again."

"...You just concentrate on carrying the box," Buttercup muttered after doing a face-palm.

"What _now_?" demanded Butch, following his counterpart down the steps to the porch.

"...Nothing," she sighed, smacking him.

"Ow!" he shouted, fumbling to keep from dropping the box. He glared at her. "What was _that _ for!?"

"I was hoping a good smack would save you from your own stupidity, but it looks like I was wrong," Buttercup replied smartly.

Butch scowled. They'd barely been selling these things together for half an hour and she was _already _ getting on his nerves.

"Watch it, little lady; don't want to get on my last nerve," Butch muttered warningly.

"...Then you must not have a lot of nerves," she shot back.

Butch grunted, trying to contain his anger as he felt his face grow red. _Fuck this shit, and fuck her, _ his mind scowled.

Buttercup was already at the next house, and Butch quickly flew over before she could comment on "how slow he was".

...She still commented anyway.

"Jeez, you're so slow," Buttercup said, glancing impatiently at the purple door and tapping her foot.

Butch snorted. "...Shut up," he muttered.

"What's the matter?" she challenged, but then the door opened―thankfully, Butch might add.

"Yes? What would you like?" a posh, short, stubby little lady greeted them.

The last person they had sold tickets to was a little old lady, who had at least been cheerful. This customer, however, looked like she'd be a tough one.

Buttercup must've sensed it too, because she looked slightly nervous. "Uh, hello," she managed to say. "We're selling tickets―"

"I'm not interested," the lady said as soon as she heard the word "sell". She began to close the door, and Buttercup turned around dejectedly.

For some reason, seeing Buttercup like that didn't make Butch feel any happier, so he did something he hasn't expected he'd do...:

_...He jammed his foot in between the door and the doorframe. _

"..._Excuse _ me," the lady said with a hint of coldness in her voice, "but I already _said _ I'm _not interested_."

Butch scowled, turning and passing the box to Buttercup. Then he turned back around and easily pried the door open some more with his fingers, but he held back a bit. "Listen here, _little lady_, I'm not in a good mood right now and _DON'T_. WANT. TO. TAKE. _NO_. FOR. AN. ANSWER." He glared at her. _"Understood?"_

"I think that's _my _ decision to make, not yours," the woman responded coldly, still trying to shut the door.

Butch wouldn't let her. "And I think you need to work on your attitude. We didn't walk until our legs ached to hear _'no'_. Now, if you had said so politely, I would've let you go. BUT YOU _DIDN'T_, AND EVEN IF YOU DO _NOW_, I _STILL _ WON'T LET YOU GO."

"Excuse me, _kind sir_, but I don't think you understand. I am an important lady―"

"Yeah, yeah; you got some big fancy business―wait no; I bet your _husband _ makes all the money," Butch interrupted impatiently.

"How dare you!" she gasped.

Butch rolled his eyes. "I _do _ dare," he replied. "And I don't know if you've figured it out yet or not, but I'm a _Rowdyruff Boy_. And _Buttercup _ here is a Powerpuff Girl. So if you don't _mind_..."

"I still see no reason for me to attend such an affair―"

"_Yeesh_, I'm getting to that part! If _only _ you'd just _listen_. Look, it's a _charity dance_. Lots of people will be there. The mayor will be there. Us super-powered beings will be there. Business people will be there. Rich, fancy people; important people like you will be there. So you and your family can go and make a good impression, _or _ you can stay home and miss one of Townsville's greatest, most important events ever."

"I―"

"Stephanie, what on earth are you doing to the door?" a new voice called.

The woman, "Stephanie", turned to see a tall man with a brown moustache. "O-Oh, Jonathan! This boy is insisting we buy tickets for a _charity _ dance―"

"So buy them," "Jonathan" replied, lighting a cigarette. "Here, have a 100 dollars for the tickets and keep the change―we'll need about five of them."

"B-But Jonathan, all that money―" Stephanie began, but Jonathan interrupted.

"It'll put in a good name for us," he pointed out. Then he moved into the living room and sat down in a chair, snapping crinkles out of his paper.

Butch sensed this "Stephanie" didn't dare argue with him, especially when he was reading the paper.

"Okay, _fine_. _Take it_. I was going to buy them anyway, but _$100_..." Stephanie sighed as she smacked the money into Butch's hand.

Butch smirked victoriously. "Why thank you, Madame!" he said, before turning to Jonathan. "Although, it really isn't healthy to smoke, you know!"

"I'll keep that in mind," Jonathan chuckled.

Butch smiled slyly and sent Stephanie one last victorious glance, to which she frowned at. Then he said with exaggerated politeness, "And _thank you _ for your contribution!"

As the two greens walked off, Buttercup commented, "Huh; who knew you were such a salesman?"

Butch laughed. "I _do _ have some talent like that," he smirked.

Buttercup just rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway.

The next door was even more decorated than the last one.

Buttercup rang the doorbell, and a maid answered it. "Hello, state your business, please."

"We're selling tickets," Buttercup began, but the maid interrupted.

"Excuse me, but I will have to check if we will buy any." Then she was gone.

"...Wow; rude much?" Butch muttered.

Buttercup nodded but didn't reply, as a girl waltzed fancily in front of the doorframe.

"Like, hello! I'm like, Samantha. My daddy isn't home, but he said I can buy some if I like, _want _ to," she greeted them.

"Well..._do _ you want to?" Buttercup managed to ask.

Samantha looked her over. "Ugh, maybe if you were like, a hot guy with like, good 'salesmanship' or like, something."

Butch piped up from behind Buttercup. "What if he was a Rowdyruff Boy...?"

"That'd be like, _super_! And it'd be like, even _more _ super if it was like, that red guy _Brick_, or that green guy _Butch_! I like, can't decide between the two," Samantha sighed dreamily.

Butch appeared from behind Buttercup, smirking. "Well you're in luck, because even though I'm _not _ Brick, I _am _ Butch!"

"Like, _ohmygosh_!" Samantha gasped.

Butch leaned forward flirtatiously. "Y'know, if you buy a few of these tickets, I _may _ just dance with you at the event. I could maybe even convince _Brick _ to as well, but no promises." Then Butch leaned back. "Still, I think I'm good enough, riiight?"

"Of course!" Samantha gasped, pulling out $100. "Like, keep the change!"

"Thanks for your _contribution_," Butch murmured, leaning forward and giving her a light peck on the cheek. He moved away and winked as she sighed dreamily.

The two walked off then, and Buttercup didn't look as enthusiastic about the new $100 as before.

"What's the matter?" Butch asked her.

"...You have no shame," was all Buttercup said.

Butch just shrugged. "I don't have a girlfriend either, so what does it matter?" he pointed out, not getting what she was saying.

"...Right," Buttercup just said with a sigh.

The next few houses were mostly more rich people; and Butch and Buttercup worked together to win them over. Still, Butch took command for all the teenage girls. This for some reason left Buttercup with a weird feeling in her stomach that didn't sit with her too well.

As soon as they approached a big, white building decorated with blue "jewels" and golden swirls, Butch's face paled.

_"...Oh shit," _he managed to whisper. "How could I have forgotten..."

"What's the matter?" Buttercup inquired, following his gaze to the large, sparkling white house. She then glanced back at Butch and raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're afraid of fake blue 'jewels'...?"

"No, it's not..._that_," Butch managed to croak. "Just...you'll see soon enough."

Buttercup only shrugged and pressed the doorbell, which was a fake blue gem. She glanced at the huge driveway, where limos and fancy cars sat.

The door opened and the two greens were greeted by a butler. "Hello; what would you like?"

Buttercup began to speak. "We're selling tickets―"

The butler's eyes suddenly widened as he noticed Butch, who was trying to hide behind the box and Buttercup. _"...Butch...?"_ the butler managed to say.

_Too bad the butler's so tall, _ Butch groaned inwardly.

"Why...yes; hello, Samuel," Butch responded weakly, stepping out from behind Buttercup.

Samuel narrowed his eyes. "What on earth do you think you're doing here...?"

Butch swallowed. "Selling tickets for a charity event."

Samuel sighed. "I'd hardly say the Young Mistress Tiffany would _want _ to buy such a thing, let alone even _see _ you."

"So don't let her see me," Butch replied, ducking behind Buttercup again. "I'm not here; I'm not Butch."

Buttercup shot him a bewildered look._ "What's going on here?" _ she hissed.

_"Tiffany's my last girlfriend," _ Butch hissed back.

"Wait, you mean _that _ Tiffany? Tiffany Goldiara? The one who now sends you glares when she sees you in the hallways...?" Buttercup asked.

_"You're. Not. _Helping_!" _ Butch hissed.

"Right; sorry," Buttercup said. She then turned back to Samuel. "I'm terribly sorry about this idiot here"―this earned her a _"hey!" _ from Butch―"but _please_, let us at least _try _ and sell these tickets...?"

Samuel sighed. "Very well." He then turned around and called, "Mistress Tiffany!"

"What _is _ it, Samuel? This better be good," a light, slightly nasal voice called.

"Oh, I'd say it is," Samuel replied.

"_Humph_; let me decide that," Tiffany responded, appearing at the top of one of the grand staircases. There were two, and she was on the right one. Both went around a fountain with a Cupid on it, and had velvet red carpeted steps.

"Very well," Samuel replied, opening the two big white doors further. "Mistress Tiffany, here is Mistress Buttercup Utonium."

Tiffany snorted, leaning to one side on her turquoise heels. "Ugh, _hello_, you _'Boy-Girl'_."

Buttercup just rolled her eyes.

"And _this_..."

Butch held his breath and begged no...:

"...Is Butch Jojo."

_Shit! _ That was the only thought that ran through Butch's head.

Tiffany froze then. "Did you say...Butch..._Jojo_?"

"I believe I did, Young Mistress," Samuel replied calmly.

Butch sighed as he stepped out from behind Buttercup. "Uh...hi, Tiff."

"It _is _ you!" Tiffany gasped, pointing a well-manicured purple nail decorated with blue butterflies and glitter at Butch.

Butch groaned. "So what if it is...?"

"What are you doing with _her_?" Tiffany demanded. "Are you telling me that you left _me _ for...for _her_? She isn't even like a _girl_! She's like...like a _man-woman_!"

Buttercup sighed, rolling her eyes. "Talk about me like I'm not here; why don't you."

"I will!" snapped Tiffany, who turned back to Butch. "So tell me, _did _ you dump me for...for _her_!?"

"...No, Tiff; I _didn't_. I'm currently single," Butch said, unamused.

"So why are you...like, _with _ her!?" Tiffany demanded.

Butch groaned, doing a face-palm. "Because we're selling tickets for the Charity Dance! I didn't _choose _ this partnership, okay? My brothers and her sisters decided it, and we've already found out both of us tried to get out of this partnership! I mean, I almost expected her to _kill _ me as soon as she saw me! We're hardly _friends_. Like sure, we _are_, but we're still rivals! Besides, I guess you _might _ be hotter in a way―"

Both Tiffany and Buttercup looked surprised.

Butch just realized what he'd said, and he quickly covered his mouth with his hands. _"Oh shit."_

"You fucking _jerk_!" Buttercup shouted. "You really _are _ just a fucking perverted asshole!"

"Wait, BC!" Butch called, but she had already flown off.

"Forget about her," Tiffany cooed, grabbing Butch's arm. "I _knew _ you wanted me back. Here; take this $100; no change."

Butch pocketed the third $100 they'd received that day, but he had an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

"Why don't you come on inside and we can play our old _'game'_...?" Tiffany purred.

Butch tried to shake her off. "Tiff, _let. Go_! I'm not done selling tickets!"

"But you'll be back afterwards, won't you?" Tiffany asked, sticking out her lower lip.

Butch shot her a glare, which startled her. "I guess _not_! All you care about is yourself! I've had it with that shit!"

Tiffany gasped and let go of him, and he automatically flew off, leaving a few tickets behind for her family. They fluttered to the ground as Tiffany watched him in shock.

"B-But I don't understand," she stammered. "He said I was hotter..."

Samuel just smiled calmly. Looks like he's finally made up his mind. He turned to Tiffany. "Maybe he meant _'in a way'_, but quite _literally_."

Tiffany stared at him blankly. "What do you mean...?"

"Let me tell you a secret," Samuel said, leaning forward.

* * *

"Wait, Buttercup!" shouted Butch, flying after the green Ruff.

"Just shut up and leave me alone, you fucking asshole!"

Butch sighed, chasing after her until he lost her. He then tuned in with his super-hearing and heard what he was looking for: _her voice._

Butch winced as he followed the sound of her voice, which was swearing and cursing and insulting Butch for all he was worth.

He landed in Townsville Park, looking around and trying to locate Buttercup again.

Soon he heard slicing, so he followed the noise toward a secluded area with lots of trees.

_Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop, chop, chop. _

_Slice, slice, slice. SHEEN!_

Wincing, Butch continued to follow the noise until he saw her:_ ...Buttercup. _

He leaned against a tree and folded his arms, watching as she sliced at the poor trees.

"_Fuck _ Butch and his fucking antics! I thought we were getting along just _fine_"―a grunt―"Until he just _had _ to ruin it with that big fat mouth of his! Not that I fucking _like _ him, or care about what _he _ thinks! But _still_―"

"―He's a fucking idiot who should apologize...?"

_"Exactly!" _ shouted Buttercup, slicing another tree in half. "That's _exactly _ what he―" She froze then. "Wait a second, who said that...?" She slowly turned around...

* * *

"While you and Butch were still dating, I asked him something," Samuel began.

"Asked him what?" demanded Tiffany.

"Well, you see...:"

_Flashback_

_"Just let me change and I'll be right out!" Tiffany called, skipping up the stairs._

_Butch nodded with a slightly strained smile as she waved at him. When she disappeared at the top of the stairs, he sighed and leaned back. "I don't understand girls... Why must they change_ all _ the time...?"_

_"Well, she wants to look nice for you."_

_Butch jumped slightly, startled. He turned to see a tall butler. "Ah! Samuel; you surprised me."_

_Samuel smiled slightly. "...I think I noticed." He gestured at the tray he was pushing. "Tea...?"_

_"Uh, sure; I guess," Butch responded._

_Samuel nodded as he poured two cups and set one down in front of Butch. Then he took a seat beside Butch with a cup of his own._

_Butch took a sip of his drink, and immediately spat it back out as he stuck his tongue out. "Ow ow hot hot," he panted._

_Samuel chuckled, setting down his cup. "Here; I'll pour you a new one." He took the first cup and dumped the tea (what was left of it, anyway) into a small garbage bag at the side of the trolley. Then he cleaned up the little spill on the coffee table and poured Butch a new cup._

_"Thanks," Butch said, his face red._

_For a few moments they just sat and sipped in silence (or at least Samuel did; Butch was too busy blowing on his own cup)._

_Suddenly, Samuel set down his cup and asked, "...Do you _like _ Young Mistress Tiffany...?"_

_"Uhh...where'd this come from?" Butch asked, after taking a small sip of still hot tea and setting his own cup down._

_Samuel shrugged. "I'm just curious. _Do _you _like _ her...?"_

_"Uhh...sure, I guess," Butch said, also shrugging._

_Samuel frowned. "You _guess_...?"_

_"We've only been together for about a week. I'm not entirely sure if she's a keeper yet or not," Butch replied, picking his tea back up and blowing again._

_"...I see," Samuel said, also picking up his own cup. "But...do you think you _love _ her?"_

_Butch's tea fell to the coffee table with a_ clang!

_Samuel raised an eyebrow, already taking the delicate cup and checking it for cracks. He then poured Butch another cup as Butch cleaned up the spill. _

_"Sorry," Butch sighed. "I really suck at drinking tea right now. But in my defence, you caught me by surprise."_

_"...I see," Samuel said again. "Are you ready to answer now...?"_

_Butch sighed, setting the towel down on the trolley as he started blowing on his new cup of tea. "...I honestly don't know. Love is a mysterious thing, and I can't just say I love just about _anybody_. I need to _really _ like them."_

_"So you don't really like Tiffany...?" Samuel asked with a raised eyebrow, sipping his tea. _

_Butch shook his head. "No, it's not that. As I said, I don't know yet."_

_"But she has many qualities men want in a women," Samuel pointed out. _

_Butch raised an eyebrow. "On the outside, sure. But on the inside...? That takes longer to decide."_

_"Like...?" Samuel pressed. _

_Butch set his cup down to think, sucking his cheeks in. "Like...hmm...y'know, her attitude and personality and skills. The whole reason I drift from woman to woman is because none of the women I dated so far had personalities that made me want to _stay _ with them."_

_"...I see," Samuel muttered. _

_"...Would you stop that?"_

_"Stop what...?" Samuel asked, looking up in surprise from drinking his tea. _

_"Y'know, with the _'I see'_'s―you're asking some pretty deep questions here, so I expect some deeper answers," Butch replied like it was obvious, crinkling his nose. _

_Samuel was surprised, but then he smiled. "Okay; you got it, Boss."_

_Butch just rolled his eyes. "Anyway, she _is _ hot, but she is to _many _ guys―me as well. But I also want to see another hotness―one unique to her, enough to make me..._'love' _her." Butch paused. "You know what I'm saying...?"_

_"...I...I guess," Samuel said. "You mean like even if she was ugly on the outside you'd still love her as long as she was beautiful on the inside...?"_

_Butch nodded. "Bingo; or if she _was _ hot but under-appreciated, _but _ I still liked her, there'd be a hotness that _really _ stands out to me."_

_"...Tiffany _does _ have a nice side though," Samuel said. _

_"I'll know it when I see it." Butch smiled and winked. "Besides, you've known her _much _ longer than I have―and of course you'd say that! You're her butler!" He laughed slightly. _

_"Yeah...I guess," Samuel sighed. _

_"Hey; what's the matter―did I say something stupid...?" Butch asked. _

_Samuel shook his head. "No; you said something very true, common, and reasonable. It's just that sometimes the truth hurts..."_

_"What do you―"_

_"Butch; I'm _ready_~!"_

_"Oops, sorry; we'll have to talk later," Butch said, quickly finishing his tea and getting up. "It was nice talking to you, Samuel!"_

_"No problem," Samuel said with a smile. _

...The only thing was though, his smile seemed a little strained.

_Butch frowned, studying him carefully before he opened his mouth to speak―_

_"Butchie; are you coming or not~?"_

_"Sorry, Samuel!" Butch called, hurrying off after Tiffany. _

_Samuel sighed and set his teacup down..._

_End Flashback_

"So you see...? That's what I mean," Samuel explained.

Tiffany blinked. "I-I..." She leaned back and sat down in one of the velvety couches, the door still ajar. She was sitting in the very couch Butch had say in while talking to Samuel, she realized.

"Tiffany, I know it's a lot to take in, but..."

"Just...Just give me a moment. I..."

"I need to tell you something," Samuel sighed, closing his eyes.

"There's _more_!?" Tiffany cried.

Samuel nodded. He then knelt down so he was eye-level with her. "Tiff, I know I'm the family's butler, but...I think I like you, Tiff. I think I've liked you for many, many years now. Young Master Butch may not have seen your good side enough for him to stay, but I have. And Tiff...after that talk with Butch, I've been thinking. I..."―Tiffany's eyes widened―"I think I've fallen for you, Tiffany. And...maybe that can develop into something more."

"But Daddy―"

Samuel took a deep breath. "I... They've already said it's okay. They hate seeing you heartbroken like I do, and they said they already knew how I felt." Samuel looked away awkwardly. "So...umm...Butch said it's fine too; right after you two broke up, I asked him... But then I was too nervous to ask _you_, and you started to be mean to Butch even though he was hoping to still be our friend... So, uhh..."

Tiffany remained quiet, and Samuel turned back to her, slowly getting up. "I guess that's a no then―"

But then she hugged him.

* * *

Buttercup spun around and her mouth fell open as her eyes widened. "B-Butch!?" she gasped. She then quickly recovered and narrowed her eyes. "What do _you _ want!?"

She zoomed forward and aimed, and Butch winced... But then she sliced the tree behind him and moved back.

Butch sighed in relief. _That could've been me, _ his mind was thinking.

Buttercup then thrust half a tree trunk at him, to which he dodged. "So what do you want!?" she demanded again. "I don't have all day!"

Butch smiled sheepishly as he stepped out into the open. "Like I said; I'm a fucking idiot who should apologize―and you agreed, didn't you...?"

"Yes, but..." Buttercup stammered.

Butch sighed. "Buttercup, I need to explain something to you. When I said Tiffany was supposedly hotter than you―"

"I don't want to hear it!" Buttercup snapped with a glare, slicing another tree in half as she spun away from him.

Butch sighed with a slight roll of his eyes. "_Pfft_; BC―let me explain, okay...?"

"...Okay, _fine_," Buttercup muttered, snapping one last tree apart before she turned back to him. "Okay, so talk."

"What I meant was she looks hot to many people and on the outside―because who _wouldn't _ think she's hot and all―?"

_"Not. _Helping_," _Buttercup hissed warningly, jabbing her hand into a tree.

"...Right," Butch said, clearing his throat awkwardly before continuing. "I don't really know how to say this, but she's hot on the outside. You are too, but not everyone thinks so. So your hotness is unique."

"That hardly sounds good," Buttercup said with a snort, raising an eyebrow and glaring at him.

Butch sighed. "You're right. Anyway, it's... Well, you're also _'nice' _ on the inside. We share common interests. As hot as Tiffany is, she appeared as a spoiled brat to some. But after a conversation I had with Samuel―"

"The butler...?"

Butch nodded. "After that, I started to realize he liked her. So Tiffany _did _ have a good side. But I couldn't really see it. The reason I drift from woman to woman is because of the fact I can't find a woman with a personality that makes me want to _'stay'_. None of the women were for keeps."

"Oh..." Buttercup managed to say.

"Buttercup," Butch said slowly, walking forward. He grabbed her hands and she tried to draw them back, but he caught them again. "Just listen..."

And then he retold the tale Samuel had told Tiffany.

Buttercup's eyes were wide at the end of his "story".

"...I'm sorry for that, Buttercup. But..." Butch hesitated. "I think I've started to like you more. I'm not entirely sure yet but...how would you like to test these newfound feelings out with me...?"

"H-How...?" Buttercup whispered.

_"By...being my date to the dance, maybe...?"_

Buttercup squeezed her eyes shut, and Butch frowned. "Is that a no―?"

Buttercup managed to shake her head before hugging him. "...I'd love to," she managed to say.

Butch then pulled back and kissed her.

Fireworks went off in his head as his heart stopped before beginning to race, and he felt excitement tingling through his body. He hugged her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck, as the static continued sparking.

When the excitement died down slightly, the kiss became something softer.

Soon they broke apart for air, and Butch looked up at Buttercup.

"Y'know, I think Brick and Bandit paired us together to make us a couple. Brick must've gotten your sisters involved too. Now Braker owes Bandit 10 bucks—they made a bet to see if I'd find a permanent girlfriend by the dance, and I may just have."

Buttercup grinned. "So that's why Blossom and Bubbles insisted on me getting 'dressed up'."

"Secrets revealed!" Butch said dramatically.

The two laughed, and when the laughter died down...:

"How...about we sell the rest of those tickets...?"

Buttercup grinned. "You got it, hotshot. We don't have much left anyway."

Butch laughed. "Just don't kill me or anything."

"...Says you, you crazy dickhead."

"Look who's talking! I don't know how many trees you've killed," Butch shot back cheekily. "All those poor trees..."

"Oh shuddup," Buttercup replied, fake-punching him in the arm.

The two laughed as they flew off, two green streaks lighting up the sky.

* * *

_...I honestly don't know about the ending. The Tiffany and Samuel part was decided later... Ah well. xD_

_Anyway, while editing this on FF (y'know, 'cause I type things on my phone and I was editing for italics and stuff), and it crashed like THREE. EFFIN'. TIMES. So y'all better like it! _

_Anyway, happy (late) birthday, __**FadedIllusion101 **__ (again)! And I hope you liked it! :D_

_Remember to read and review! x3_


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